Visiting the Etruscan Graves

Written by Nick Malak, a Wisconsin Lutheran College student who is studying in Italy during J Term with WLC classmates and Dr. Martin Moldenhauer, Associate Professor of English.

Buongiorno! On January 7 in Orvieto, Italy, it was a cool and sunny day to begin, but soon became cloudy. We started our day with the classic Italian breakfast, which consisted of various meats, cheeses, croissants, yogurts, fresh fruits, and of course a hot cappuccino. Shortly after eating, we came together to review various pieces of literature about Rome and the Etruscans written by Rick Steves, Mark Twain, and Edith Wharton. Dr. Moldenhauer and Dr. Flint-Ferguson provided meaningful background information about the intended audience and setting.

After class, we attended an Italian church service in the Duomo. Despite the freezing temperature inside the stone cathedral and language barrier, we were able to grasp the message of Epiphany. After the service, we went on our way to enjoy various authentic lunches in the city of Orvieto, then later met up as a group to venture into the Etruscan graves.

When entering the historic grave site of the Etruscans, we were transported 2,300 years earlier to a time when great burial sites were erected to house the deceased. There are around 100 tombs that have been discovered and restored since the late 1700s. Thankfully, we were all able to walk in and out of the tombs to truly grasp how big and significant they really are. The architectural knowledge of a civilization that resided so long ago is mind-blowing; each stone made out of tufa was perfectly cut to create the perfect structure.

Various artifacts of the Etruscan people that were found in the tombs are now in a museum next to the Duomo. Some students, including myself, later went to the museum to learn about and marvel over these items that were so greatly preserved. Later, we all enjoyed another beautiful night in Orvieto eating fine Italian cuisine and resting for the exciting day ahead, a visit to Roma.